Chapter 23: Last Apology

"He's going to be just fine. The bruising and gashes will heal over time, the spells used means I can't heal them magically. He had some broken ribs that I healed but there's so bruising he needs to be careful of. I stopped the internal bleeding, he needs Blood-Replenishing doses, I have left them beside the bed. And I've set his broken arm."

Each injury they caused became imprinted behind my eyes, a memory to fuel my need for revenge. He looked battered laying in our bed, his eyes closed like he was just a body. It enraged me. When Healer McGowen left I had to cross the room to feel his hand, feel for heat to be sure he was still with me. Bellatrix peeked in, probably prepared for rage, but I would not misplace my rage on her. I simply put on a calm voice to demand no one enter the room but her, and that I wanted as many of the main characters of this ambush in the basement cells by this evening. She left to complete her task.

"It won't be all bad my love," I looked down into is wearily opened eyes. "Now the public will just see them as they saw Death Eaters, the Order will lose what support it has. That's a good thing."

I tried to gently clamber over him and cuddle into his side. I think he knew better than trying to talk me down, he just turned his head to rest against mine. I tenderly ran fingers over his bandaged torso, mumbling charms I learned for pain relief. I had learned them for Xavier because it's the nature of children to explore and fall over, I didn't intend to need them for Tom. He hummed appreciatively, nuzzling into me more.

"I'm not used to being cared for so tenderly. I enjoy it."

I told him about my day, something to distract us both from his, and all the cute things Xavier did. It fascinated Tom that I could always watch our little angel, but didn't prevent him from getting knocks or bumps. They were part of childhood, walk into a wall and you learn to look where you're going. I keep him out of danger, but I know the importance of letting children be children. Over-protecting them just puts them in a bubble that pops as soon as they step into the real world.

A knock stopped us there, "Harry, we rounded up some of the main fighters."

"Who?"

"We caught Aberforth, the attack leader, and his two second-in-commands, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger." Her mouth twisted in disgust at having to even say a mudbloods name. "Percy and Molly Weasley were found with them as well as some girl. Lavender Brown, or Crown. Whatever."

I didn't want to waste time and energy on lesser enemies. I gifted our captures to loyal Death Eaters, pairing for their satisfaction in all things. Bellatrix could torment the mudblood that defiled her lips with their name. Draco and his father were free to abuse the Weasley boys, I'm sure they'd enjoy torturing them with curses and insults. Greyback could use Molly, for whatever purpose the monster could think of. And Lavender-well she didn't matter, she just hid with the obvious targets. Bellatrix just threw her to her brother-in-law, Rabastian.

"I'll be back baby, I just want to get an apology out of the old fucker." I kissed his forehead gently before heading down to start work.

I returned to my bedroom. Tom was sat up against the headboard with a tray across his legs to table his dinner. He levitated the empty tray and opened his arms to me. I perched on the edge of the bed and held out the black gift box I'd hidden in my pocket. He looked confused as he took my gift, shaking it instead of opening it. Something rolled inside. It seemed to intrigue him.

He opened the box and gasped, pure shock covering his features. The still wet tongue squirmed under his gaze. I prodded it with my wand and it shivered. A muffled form of Aberforth's voice seeped out, the tongue shaping the words of his weak apology. I was rewarded with his laughter at the literal apology I tortured out of the older Dumbledore. He had to ask how I tortured him and what state I left him in.

"I just used every curse I could think of, more than a simple cruciatus curse. Bone-breaking and stinging hexes, everything I know that hurts. Even the strongest men snap under enough pain." I grinned, "I left him in the cell with Dumbledore. I poisoned him, so he'll die slowly and decay in front of his brother."

Tom looked me over like I was new. I'd been open to his evil while we were together, I gave him Dumbledore to torment as a wedding present, my indifference to the darker side of his control was obvious since his ass went in that cauldron like an ingredient in Voldemort soup. I accepted his true identity and we still got to this point. Married and with a beautiful baby boy, a classic white-picket-fence kind of family. But I'd never partook in the evil. I was always standing behind it, studying or carrying for Xavier, leaving Voldemort to be the evil spouse. I hadn't realised I'd never shown him my dark side before, my black rotted soul that was just like his.

"I have to admit I still worried you'd be repulsed by the Voldemort side of me, that we'd grow apart and wouldn't last the eternity we have at our fingertips," Tom frowned.

I just laughed, "You think after waiting nearly a decade to have you as mine that I'd suddenly find something to scare me off. We're going to be together forever, we'll give our children the chance to make the same choice we did, and lose them to time if we have to. But we'll have many children, who will be beautiful, smart, ambitious and successful like we are. That's the future I see, don't you?"

"I do sweet Harry, I very much look forward to that future."

N/A: And that became their future. I do not really think there's anything I want to add, it feels to me like I'd just be babbling to write every detail of their lives and it will just get stupid. So that is a rough idea of how their lives together will be, so it can be imagined if you want. But that's everything from me for this story. ^^

Edit: I fixed the name mix up. I pulled a random name out of my head, totally forgot Ginny was dead. It was 23 chapters ago.